The subject matter herein relates generally to contacts for use in sockets for interconnecting two electronic components.
Sockets are used to interconnect two electronic components, such as an integrated circuit (IC) component and a printed circuit board (PCB). The sockets include an array of contacts held by an insulative socket body. Some known sockets have cantilever beam designs for the contacts. There is a desire to have the contacts on tighter pitches, which may cause a shortening in beam length. When the beam length is shortened, the amount of deflection is reduced and the beams are stiffer making mating with the electronic components more difficult and increasing the stress on the contacts. Increasing the density positions the contacts closer together, which makes the housing walls thinner. Additionally, the cantilever design tends to have some overlap of the contacts, which increases cross-talk and degrades the signal integrity.
Some known sockets are used for circuit testing of the electronic components. The contacts of such testing sockets are used for many cycles. The contacts of such testing sockets typically use spring probes that are spring loaded and separable. An example of such contact is known as a Pogo® pin having a cylinder containing two spring-loaded pins that interface with the two electronic components. The Pogo® pins are machined and expensive to manufacture. Other types of spring loaded contacts include two probes that are received in a coil spring. Such contacts require assembly time to load the ends of the probes into the spring, which is difficult and time consuming.
A need remains for a contact that is cost effective to manufacture and assemble in a socket. A need remains for a contact having high reliability.